Christmas wreath with decorations in fine clay and pipe cleaners

1 Choose two colours of fine clay and knead them well to make them soft and workable. Roll out each colour into sausages of equal length with a diameter of about 8 mm each. To get a smooth and even surface with a smooth result, you can use a piece of cardboard as a roller.

2 Twist the two sausages together as shown in the picture.

3 Roll the two twisted sausages so that they fit together. Use a piece of cardboard again as a roller to ensure a smooth, even and uniform result. If necessary, twist the sausage a little while rolling, so that the stripes are not too straight. Continue rolling the sausage until it is around 8 mm thick.

4 Cut the sausage into three equal pieces of around 14 cm each. Gently shape the edges with your fingers to make them round and even. Bend one end of each piece into an arch as shown in the picture.

5 After the candy canes are shaped as shown, place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Cure the canes in a preheated oven at 120°C. Baking time: min. 18 minutes, but the exact time depends on the thickness of your candy canes. Allow to cool completely and then harden for 2-3 hours until completely firm. The candy canes are now ready for your wreath.

6 Make bows out of pipe cleaners by shaping the pipe cleaner into the classic bow shape as shown in the picture.

7 Twist both ends of the pipe cleaner around the centre to create a firm and attractive bow. Repeat the process until you have as many bows as you need.

8 Tie the wire tightly around the wreath.

9 Tie the spruce to the wreath with wire as shown in the picture. Continue all the way around until the wreath is full and has a dense and uniform look.

10 Place candle holders wherever you want your candles to be placed. Once attached, glue the bows and candy canes around the wreath wherever you like.

11 Place the candles in the candle holders. Cut another piece of satin ribbon and tie a bow at the bottom of each candle to give the wreath an extra decorative look. Tip: You can also cast your own candles for the wreath.